Project RENEW: A Nursing Informatics Led Initiative to Reduce Documentation Burden

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Nursing Informatics
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• High documentation burden in the US healthcare system is a significant issue.
• Poor usability of electronic health records (EHR) is a primary driver of this burden.
• Addressing EHR usability is crucial for alleviating nursing workload.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and implement solutions for improving EHR usability.
• To reduce the documentation burden on nursing staff.
• To enhance the efficiency of clinical documentation processes.

Main Methods:

• A structured review process was employed by a nursing informatics team.
• Opportunities for EHR usability improvement were identified.
• Solutions were developed, reviewed by nurse experts, and approved.
• Approved solutions were implemented using an agile methodology.

Main Results:

• Project RENEW successfully reduced unnecessary nursing tasks.
• Usability of EHR flowsheets was significantly improved.
• The number of clicks required for documentation was reduced.
• Overall documentation burden was positively impacted.

Conclusions:

• Improving EHR usability is an effective strategy to combat documentation burden.
• An agile, expert-informed approach can efficiently implement EHR enhancements.
• Project RENEW demonstrates a successful model for optimizing nursing workflows and EHR interaction.